“As rescuers struggled in heavy rain to find survivors weeping relatives lined the shores of the fast-flowing Brahmaputra river in Assam state, desperate for news of family members on board the vessel.

“It was carrying around 350 men, women and children and police said some 150 people were rescued or swam to safety after the accident, which occurred as torrential pre-monsoon rains lashed the region.

“The death toll could make the ferry sinking one of the worst in recent memory in South Asia, where such disasters are common due to lax safety standards and overloading.”

Reuters reports that the ferry, which was navigating the Brahmaputra river in Assam state, was carrying mostly local farmers and their families, who were found sitting on the roof of the ferry after it tipped over. Police told Reuters that the boat was carrying neither lifeboats nor life jackets.